Beth's Italian Teacher
by gleefullyannonymous
Summary: What happens when Beth starts getting into trouble and Finn, her legal guardian, is forced to have a conference with her Italian teacher, Ms. Rachel Berry? (Pretty much AU, however some background information is cannon... Can this be an undefined genre? :P)
1. Prologue

**So here's a prologue for a new fanfic I may or may not be writing. I started it just about an hour ago and I really love the way the prologue came out. **

**If I could get some of your opinions on this, that would be simply fantastic. Please read and review; it's short so it shouldn't take long. :)**

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BETH'S POV:

Before we begin, I think there are somethings you should know.

My name is Bethany Puckerman.

Yes, I am the daughter of Quinn and Noah.

No, I do not live with them.

You see, when I was around eight years old, my dad entered the war. Devastated and unprepared to raise a child on her own, my mom decided she'd move in with her cousin, Finn Hudson.

Due to family complications and the sheer craziness of my birth mother, I was left alone with Finn for a couple of years. Once she came back, she was never the same. She would never tell me what happened; I wouldn't ask her to try, either. To this day she still doesn't talk much. Sure, Finn was a great guardian, but the absence of a mother in my life caused me to have some psychological problems. Some kids take their anger out on family members and such.

Not me.

Being Quinn Fabray's daughter surely gave me some of her least desirable character traits. For example, I can be a sneaky, conniving bitch at times. I also have a tendency to get _extremely _jealous of those who could potentially be better than me.

So no, I didn't take my anger out on my family.

I took it out on my Italian teacher, Ms. Berry.

Now, I know what you're thinking: why would the inimitable Beth Puckerman be jealous of her Italian teacher?

But no, you've never met Ms. Berry.

She's hot, and that's coming from someone who's 100% straight.

She's understanding. She gets that kids have bad days sometimes and just need to decompress.

She takes no nonsense. If I were you, I would _not _mess with Ms. Berry.

And she's freaking hilarious. Her class is the highlight of my day.

Well, it _was._

As you can probably imagine, freshman boys are gross. They all drool over Ms. Berry even to this day. It wouldn't matter if she was single or taken; the guys have always been all over her. And more guys for Berry means less guys for Beth. I have a reputation to keep up. I'm the daughter of _Quinn Fabray, _for heaven's sake!

So as awful as it seems, I bullied her. Ms. Berry, the fun-loving teacher who had admittedly been my favorite for most of the year became my personal punching bag. I blame genetics.

Now, this story can and will be told from many viewpoints. After all, I have a gift of knowing exactly what's going on with everyone at all times.

But I didn't know my messing with Ms. Berry would cause so much to happen.

In fact, I had no idea at all.

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**Comments? Questions? Should I continue writing? PLEASE, please send me your opinion in a review.**

**Xox.**


	2. The New Beth Fabray

**A quick thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the prologue. Due to your kind comments, I've decided to continue! I like this first chapter; please, PLEASE continue to review. Enjoy!**

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The school day at McKinley High consists of six and a half grueling hours of work and little leisure time. As I sat down in my assigned seat for Italian class, Ms. Berry walked in, her perfect high pony swinging gently and her pencil skirt showing off just the right amount of leg. It was _finally_ ninth period, and honestly, I was completely exhausted. The night before had been rough; my mom had come out of her room for the first time in days to fill up a canteen to take back into her room. She looked awful, dressed in her usual attire which consisted of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a messy pony-tail. Seeing her then, you would have _never_ guessed she was the one and only Quinn Fabray in high school. I guess people just change.

The day had been bad, to say the very least. I had received the first C of my life on my Geometry test the period before, and I had fallen off the top of a small pyramid during Cheerios practice which earned me a good lecture from Coach Sylvester as well as a couple of bruises. In addition to this, I was already bombarded with homework that I had neglected to do the night before because like I said, it was a rough night. My best friend Becca Pierce wasn't even there to help me get all my shit sorted out. Basically, I hated everyone and everything and I wanted more than anything to go home and watch a full marathon of _America's Next Top Model_.

So, when Ms. Berry saw that I hadn't done my homework and gave me that stern look that she always did to students who didn't do their work, I snapped. "Do you mind, Ms. Berry?" I had asked sarcastically, loud enough so the whole class could hear. "If looks could kill, I'd be dead on the ground right now."

"Excuse me?" she asked in response, the normally sweet tone of her voice supplanted by a harsh, insulted one. The no nonsense Ms. Berry.

_Crap, what did I just get myself into?_

"Nothing," I replied, sinking back in my seat.

Ms. Berry wasn't letting this go, though. "No, there's obviously a problem, Ms. Puckerman. How about you spit it out instead of keeping all of your little thoughts to yourself? That seemed to be your initial intention."

"Jesus, Ms. Berry," Beth said in a harsh tone, deciding she'd punish herself for using God's name in vain later. "Leave me alone. It's like you're obsessed with me or something."

At this, a bunch of kids in the class laughed; and even with my knowledge of how awful I was being to Ms. Berry, it actually made me happy. They were laughing at things _I _said.

"Obsessed with you?" Ms. Berry asked rhetorically. "I'm sorry to break it to you, but the world doesn't revolve around Beth Puckerman."

This provoked a couple of _ooh_'s and burn's from around the classroom. Most people usually took Ms. Berry's side in arguments like these. Believe it or not, she got into them quite often. Kids in Lima just didn't know how to shut their mouths and she had a zero tolerance policy. I had always been one of her favorites; now I was just like the rest of the losers in this town.

"Oh, but I beg to differ," I responded with a light smirk. "Because any world that doesn't revolve around me is surely a not a world worth living in."

"Sure, honey, think what you want."

"I will."

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That night I had come home late after visiting Becca at her house. She had a stomach bug, so I didn't stay there for long. I spent most of the night meandering on the street, thinking my day over. Being the most popular girl in school, I didn't usually have off days. I guess there's a first time for everything.

The days continued on this way; I'd lightly nudge Ms. Berry until she broke and I could win. Eventually, my remarks became more and more insulting. Only a couple of days had passed since my first offense and I was already commenting on her sex life and spreading rumors about her. I knew I was wrong, but I was in way too deep to quit.

"Where the hell were you?" Uncle Finn asked once I had finally returned home after yet another late night.

"Out," I responded plainly before plopping down on the couch and turning on _Gossip Girl_.

"This is the fourth time this week, Beth. I called you like five times, Beth. Why didn't you pick up?"

"Huh?" I asked before checking my phone. Four missed calls from Finn. _Damn. _"It was actually four, dumbass," I blurted out, earning myself a glare from her uncle.

"What the fuck has gotten into you, Bethany? I got a call from the school yesterday, you know."  
"Saying what? Another award for a perfect student?"

"Nope," he replied in a matter-of-fact manner. "It was about your behavior in Italian class. Apparently, your teacher is not pleased with the way you've been acting."

I rolled my eyes. "That's because she's a lady-loving prick who doesn't know when to shut the fuck up."

"Hey, you watch your language," he reprimanded angrily. "You know they want me to come into the school tomorrow and have a conference with her, right? What does that say about my parenting?"

"You're not my dad!" I nearly screamed before storming out of the room and slamming my bedroom door. _Fuck my life._

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**Ooooh, drama! What do you guys think is going to happen at the conference? Review, review, review!**


	3. Regrets Collect

**Thank you all again for the continued support. :) I hope you like this chapter!**

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Finn's POV:

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Bethany Fabray is an _interesting_ girl, to say the very least. She's a lot like her mother, actually; causing trouble just to get attention and shit. I know she has a tough life, but she sure does have an unusual way of dealing with it.

Though she may not realize it, Beth has been meddling with others for years. The first offense that comes to mind would be her taking Rebecca Pierce under her wing and making her 'second in command.' If I learned anything from high school, it's that with popularity comes power. So, Quinn channeled her frustration into her project, turning "Loser Rebecca" into _the_ Becca Pierce. Next offense came mid-December last year, when Beth decided she'd start messing with her Italian teacher.

That was when I was forced into the first "parent"/teacher conference of my life.

"I'm leaving, Beth!" I called up the stairs. "Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone!"

"Geez, Uncle Finn, you make it seem like I invite strippers over when I'm home alone," Beth called back. I smiled. We fought a lot, but we'd always had a great relationship regardless.

Once at the school, I sat in the main office. It was weird to be back in my old high school, and honestly, I wasn't too thrilled about it. There were far to many memories made there; some good and some bad; some heart-wrenching and other's heart-warming. But my biggest regret to this day, occurred right in front of that main office, and sitting there made me sick to my stomach.

I was instructed to go down to the language wing, one I vaguely remembered from my days of Spanish class with Mr. Schuester. He was one of the best teachers I've ever had, this including my college professors and tutors over the years. Not that all of them weren't great people; they just weren't Will Schuester.

Out of curiosity, I found his old room and made my way in. I couldn't get in trouble, right? It wasn't like I was still a student or anything.

I picked up a picture on his desk with the face of Emma Pillsbury, the guidance counselor at Mckinley. They had gotten married the year I graduated, a wedding in which I attended with my now ex-girlfriend.

"Well well well, if it isn't Finn Hudson," I heard a familiar voice say from behind me.

I turned around, smiling and presented myself with my hands. "Here in the flesh."

Mr. Schue pulled me into a big hug and pulled away while asking, "What brings you back to Mckinley?"

"Eh," I responded, placing the picture back where I had found it. "Quinn and Puck's daughter's been acting up lately and I have a meeting with one of her teachers."

"_You_ have a meeting?"

"It's a long and complicated story, but yes, I'm her legal guardian."

"Interesting."

I grinned slightly and turned back to the picture on the desk. "So you're still with Mrs. Pillsbury?"

"Yes, of course. Five years and counting," Mr. Schue replied with a small chuckle.

I nodded my head. "It's great to see you with a happy ending, Mr. Schue. You really do deserve it."  
"How about you? Have you spoken to Rachel since-"

"No."

"She still lives around here, you know. I guess with what happened she sort of lost her Broadway ambition."

"Yeah, I've heard. I haven't seen her, though. I try not to see her. It hurts too much," I confessed, suddenly wishing I hadn't taken this Saturday morning into my own hands and that I'd instead simply went to the Italian room.

_Fuck; I'm late. Way to be a good example for Beth, Hudson._

I said a quick 'goodbye' and 'thank you' to Mr. Schue and made my way out of the door to my destination. As I walked through the open door to the Italian room, the woman sitting at the desk made me nearly drop my jaw to the ground. Beth's Italian teacher was Rachel Berry.

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**Mmmm, what do you think happened to Rachel and Finn during senior year? :x**


	4. Reconciliation

**It has come to my attention that a lot of you are quite eager to hear about what happened with Finchel. I intended on putting it into this chapter, but I'm trying to save it for the perfect moment, so no, it isn't included. It'll definitely be coming up soon, though, so stay with me!**

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Finn's POV:

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I genuinely could not believe my eyes. _Rachel Berry_ was only a few feet away from me. She looked different, but I could still recognize her. Her eyes were on some paperwork she was doing, with the occasional glance at the clock sitting on her desk. She was probably still waiting for me, but I took advantage of her oblivion and stayed quiet to admire her perfection from the threshold of the door.

And by perfection, I mean _perfection._ Rachel Berry was the epitome of perfection. Her eyes glistened as she examined the papers on her desk, and her hair, which was tied into a half-up/half-down 'do rested appropriately on her shoulders and breasts. Her baby-doll pink top was tightly tucked into a short but modest pencil skirt, and a pair of black pumps pulled her outfit together. Her legs were crossed and still seemed to stretch on for miles even in that position. Damn, was she beautiful; and that was just her exterior.

I cleared my throat, hoping to get the young teacher's attention. She lifted her head abruptly at the noise and looked up at me. "Hello," she greeted with a small smile. "Please, take a seat at any of these desks in the front row here." I furrowed an eyebrow. _Does she not remember me? _With a sigh, I sat down in the desk closest to her's. _Maybe if she could get a better look my face would look familiar._

"You're late."

"I know."

"So, Mr. Hudson, I'd like to start with a bold statement. Bethany's behavior, if not fixed immediately, could result in a suspension."

I took in every word. Her voice was simply so powerful. Even in a hushed tone she could get her point across. And this was just her talking voice. Let's just say that you haven't lived until you've heard Rachel Berry sing. Her voice is the most angelic noise I've ever heard to this day. It was why I fell in love with her.

"Oh," I replied simply, still trying to get my former lover's attention.

"So I suggest you shape her up a bit," Rachel continued. "I honestly do not know what's wrong. Bethany has always been a model student."

I was bewildered by Rachel's erratic behavior. We had dated for almost three whole years and for all that I knew, she had completely forgotten everything. How, though? Did anyone have any idea how much I wanted to forget? The pain and heartache was unbearable. The fact that she'd found a way to move on almost left me jealous.

"Yeah, I know," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'll talk to her about it."

"Good; you're free to go now."

I stared at the cold-looking face in front of me, and realizing my eyes were tearing up, asked, "That's it?"

"Why would there be anything else?"

"No reason," I nodded before stepping away from the desk and over to the doorway. "Thank you for your time."

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Rachel's POV:

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If there was ever a time to thank my lucky stars for my attending acting lessons since age four, that would be it. Picture yourself in my shoes; my ex-feyonce had just come to a teacher's conference, discussing the child he was the legal guardian of, who had been making my life a living hell for the duration of nearly two months.

When I saw his face, I had no words, no idea what to do, and fear that he would. I didn't know how he expected me to react, either. With a heartbreak like mine, I didn't know how to pick up the pieces, so I just pushed them aside. I eliminated Finn Hudson from my life once and for all; his name wasn't to be spoken and his existence wasn't to be acknowledged. And that worked well for a while, well, until that day.

Once past the awkward greeting, I figured the only way Finn and I would be able to have a professional conversation would be if Finn and I didn't have all of this history between us. So, I pretended it never was. By playing the role of someone who didn't know the feeling of heartbreak, I became someone who didn't know the feeling of heartbreak, and therefore, never met Finn Hudson.

So what kind of reaction did he expect? I surely wasn't going to be cheery; that's entirely impossible, even with my acting abilities.

Maybe he expected to be ignored? He knew I resented him, with good reason, too.

All I know is that Finn Hudson was at least expecting to be acknowledged. I didn't give him that, though, and part of myself was actually proud.

That was until I saw how vulnerable he was. His eyes filled with tears and his gaze soft and full of regret. That's when his pain became mine, but also when I wished more than ever that he wouldn't have come. I couldn't feel sorry for him. I wasn't _supposed _to feel sorry for him. I hated him. I hated Finn Hudson, and I had to make sure my unresolved feelings didn't get in the way of that.

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**Again, sorry about the lack of information. Please read and review!**


	5. A Bit Revealed

**Enjoy!**

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Beth's POV:

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"So how'd it go with Ms. Berry?" I asked as I saw Finn open the door from the couch. I got no answer. Instead, I was 'awarded' with yet another guardian spending the night in their room. _Perfect, just perfect._

The next morning, Finn made me breakfast. A seemingly endless array of bacon, sausage, and eggs filled the table, along with a random steak and a bit of ice cream.

"What the hell is this?" I asked.

"Animal product appreciation," Finn answered harshly before sitting down at the table next to me and picking up a flimsy piece of bacon. "Because we eat animal products, and we _love _animal products." He took an angry bite out of the bacon he was holding.

I stared at him for a moment. "Did something happen with Ms. Berry, Finn? I know how fucked up that woman can be at times and you haven't really been yourself since you got home."

"Language, Bethany."

"Right, sorry."  
Finn cut up some steak for himself as I took some eggs onto my plate and began eating. "But you didn't answer my question."

"No," he began. "Nothing fucking happened. _Nothing _at all_._"

I watched as he teared up for the first time in my life. Never had I ever seen Finn Hudson cry. _Why now, though?_

"Holy CRAP, Finn! Did you two hook up?"

Finn scoffed between his tears, "If only."

After an overly dramatic gasp, I asked, "You _like_ Ms. Berry?"  
"This is none of your business, and frankly, I don't feel like fueling your gossip engine at the moment."

"I'm going to figure out what's going on if It kills me."

After class on Monday, I approached Ms. Berry. "Can I talk to you... in private?" I asked, sincerely.

She looked up at me skeptically before nodding and pulling out of her desk to take me into the hallway. I sat down on the floor, my back leaning against the wall and she hesitantly took a seat beside me.

"So what is it?" she asked with her eyes glowing and sincere.

"Oh, um..." I fiddled with my thumbs in my lap. "So when my uncle, Uncle Finn came home yesterday, he was just not.. himself."

Rachel furrowed an eyebrow. "And you think I have something to do with that?"

"Well, it _was_ right after the conference..."

I watched as tears welled up in Ms. Berry's eyes. Not a single one fell, though, and a good thing, too, because I wouldn't have known what to do in an empty hallway with a crying teacher. _Especially _Ms. Berry.

"Beth, it's none of your business."

"That's exactly what Uncle Finn told me," I sighed, leaning my head back. "I know I'm pretty rude sometimes but I _do_ care about people. And Finn and I may fight a lot but I _do_ care about him." I looked down at my hands. "I know what it feels like to have a guardian break down on you for no reason at all whatsoever and it really, _really _sucks."

"Your mother is an amazing woman, Bethany," Ms. Berry told me, sounding sincere. "She's one of the strongest people I've ever met, and I know this is hard for you but the only reason why she doesn't tell you everything is because the last thing you need is more stress in your life."

I looked up at her, furrowing an eyebrow. "You know my mom?"

"She and I went to school together with your uncle and your dad."

"Do you still talk to her?"

"She doesn't talk to anyone. We had a big argument at the end of senior year and we haven't spoken to each other since."

Both Ms. Berry and I were silent for a while, taking in the events of our conversation.

"I'm so sorry for being so disrespectful this past week, Ms. Berry. You don't deserve to be treated like that."

"No, Beth," she said. "I understand how hard life is for you. I'm not angry and I don't blame you for anything, but I am worried about you."

"Worried about me?"

"Have you ever thought about seeing a therapist?"

I shook my head in response. _I don't need a therapist. Therapists are for freaks._

"I had one at the end of senior year and she helped me a lot," Ms. Berry told me as she dug into her pocket and handed me a card. "You should give her a call."

_Oh._

I nodded. "Thank you."

Ms. Berry stood up and wiped a stray tear off of her cheek before re-entering the classroom. I took off the other way, thoughts taking over my usually vacant mind.

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**Again, sorry for the lack of information. Still, please read and review! It's all coming up, I promise!**


	6. Dr Jones, Psychologist

**Pleeeeease don't hate me, but again, this chapter doesn't show what happened. It does touch on the topic, however, and I _promise_ I'll have it in the next chapter. Stay with me!**

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Beth's POV:

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"So, Bethany. Can you explain to me why you're here?"

I shrugged, looking around the office. "I have a lot of problems, I guess. One of my teachers recommended me to you," I responded, noticing the business cards on the lady's desk that said 'Dr. Jones: Psychologist.'

Dr. Jones scribbled some things down. "Interesting," she said, looking back up at me. "May I ask who?"

"Her last name is Berry. I'm not sure of her first, though."

"Ah, Rachel Berry. Yes. I remember her." She scribbled some more down.

"You do?"

"Of course. But she's not why you're here. So, tell me what's been bothering you."

I fidgeted in my seat uncomfortably. Talking surely wasn't my strongest point. Why would I be talking to a stranger about my problems anyway? I didn't even know why I was there. Sure, I had issues, but didn't everyone? What would make me any different?

"Ms. Puckerman?" she interrupted my train of thought.

I snapped out of my daydream and directed my attention back to the lady. "I don't need to be here. Coming was unnecessary," I told her, standing up. "Thanks anyway."

"This is exactly what Ms. Berry said to me, you know. Your teacher? She's stubborn as a mule. The last thing she wanted to do was to open up to me."

This had me intrigued. "What changed her mind?"

"Her feelings, I guess. A couple of days later she realized she really did need help and came back."

I nodded. "That won't happen with me."

"Alright, suit yourself."

But I wasn't finished. "What was wrong with her? Why was she here?"

"I do not have the liberty to say, my dear. But just because someone comes to me doesn't mean they have problems. Sometimes people just need a trusted person to talk to."

"Oh."

She opened her mouth to say something but then stopped herself and reached into her desk, pulling out a notebook.

"Each page has a date on it. I want you to fill out each and every day honestly, explaining in detail every event that has an effect on you."

I took the notebook from her, flipping through a couple of pages to see what was inside. Sure enough, each page had an empty date section to write in. "Will you be reading this?"

She shook her head. "Coming back won't be necessary. As long as you write in there, I promise you'll feel better. If you have a change in heart and find you still need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to come back."

I nodded. "Thank you."

"Good luck, Bethany."

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Rachel's POV:

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I knocked gently on the familiar chestnut brown door and immediately heard an answer. "Come in."

Slowly, I opened the door and stepped inside before sitting down on a black leather chair. The lady at the desk looked up at me and frowned slightly. "Rachel, what are you doing here?"

"Hi, Dr. Jones."

"Are you okay? Why are you back?"

"I um.. I need to talk to you."

"Did Finn leave you another long voicemail?"  
I shook my head, feeling my eyes well up. And in that moment, I broke. Tears streamed from my eyes, drenching my face. Every feeling I had bottled up since senior year bursted out of me without words, but rather as tiny droplets of despair. Dr. Jones watched me from her desk, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Rachel, what's going on?" She asked, her attention now directed entirely towards me.

I opened my mouth to speak, but again, instead of words, tears flooded from my puffy, red eyes.

"Rachel, you need to talk to me."

Between sobs, I managed a few words. "He's back," I whispered before breaking down yet again. "He's back and he saw me and he knows I'm here."

Scribbling down something in her notes, Dr. Jones asked, "Where did you see him?"

Sniffling, I responded. "At school. He came to a parent/teacher conference and I saw him and.." I trailed off, beginning to weep once more.

"And what happened, Rachel?"

"I pretended I didn't know who he was," I replied, my nose congested and my face sticky with tears.

"And how did he react?"

"He _didn't _react!" I cried. "He said nothing to me about it, but in his eyes I could see all of the sorrow and regret he possessed and... I thought I was okay, Dr. Jones. I thought I had moved on and Finn freakin' Hudson would be out of my life for good but I'm _not_, and he's _not. _I need to see him and talk to him and work my unresolved feelings out because the life I've been living for the past couple of years has been a complete and utter _lie._"

Dr. Jones looked up from her paper and nodded. "Well then, you know what you have to do."

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**Again, I apologize. Thank you all for being so patient, though. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up sometime tomorrow. Continue reading and reviewing! :***


	7. Confrontation

**First off, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to get to this point. I'm hoping the suspense made it worth the wait. So here's the chapter you've all been waiting for! My apologies for the massive amounts of swearing. :x**

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Beth's POV: (Journal)

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_12/22_

_I'm not gonna write 'Dear Journal' and shit because you're not a fucking person. You're a journal. And damn, now I'm talking to a journal. Hey, at least I can curse in here without being reprimanded. Fuck you, society. _

_Oh right, so I'm supposed to talk about my day or whatever. Today was... interesting, to say the absolute least. But if you're to be spoken to like a person, journal, then you're to be treated like one too, right? And people like a little mystery in their lives; you know, to keep things interesting. So consider my not telling you what went on today a favor. I'm keeping you young and relevant. You're welcome._

_Signed, LOL at you. :-)_

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Finn's POV:

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I sat on the couch with Beth, still emotionally scarred and thoroughly exhausted. I flipped the channel to some Michael Buble Christmas special and closed my eyes in attempt to catch a quick snooze. In the middle of "Baby It's Cold Outside," I heard the doorbell ring and groaned. Beth glared at my anti-social ways and got up to answer the door herself as I indulged myself in the admittedly smooth sounds of Buble and the inside of my eyelids.

But Beth of course had to ruin that, tapping on my shoulder like a fucking woodpecker. "Finn, Finn!" she whisper-yelled into my ear. "Wake the hell up!"

"Goddammit, Bethany," I moaned in response before opening my eyes fully and seeing Beth above my head with another woman next to her. After my eyes adjusted to the light, I noticed that Beth's little 'friend' was Rachel.

"Holy fuck, Rachel!" I blurted out as I sat up and tried to make myself presentable.

"Thank you, Beth," Rachel nodded towards my cousin. "I'll take it from here." With that, Beth made her way upstairs.

"R-rachel.. What are you doing here?" I asked, still a bit groggy from just waking up from my thirty-second snooze. But instead of an answer, Rachel took her hand and slammed it against my cheek. "Ow. What the fuck?" I mumbled, rubbing my cheek where her palm had collided with it. _That's going to leave a mark._

Rachel stared at me blankly. "I've wanted to do that for so long."

"Well, there. You did it."

"We need to talk."

I nodded, stunned by her determination. "Yeah, we do."

Rachel sat down on the other side of the couch and curled her legs up onto it as well, making herself as comfortable as possible, as I remembered she usually did in uncomfortable situations. She faced me, her eyes looking directly into mine and her gaze strong and powerful. "Why are you still in Lima, Finn?"

"Puck went off to the war, Quinn's an incapable mother, and I'm raising Beth," I told her as I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.

"And this happened when?"

"Two years ago, maybe. I didn't know you were still here too, though. What happened to those Broadway dreams of yours?"

"Shattered. I had no self-confidence and therefore no drive or ambition. I blame you, by the way."

I nodded. She did have a point. "I'm sorry."

Rachel scoffed in disbelief. "I come to your house, _still_ questioning my own sanity, and all you have to say is 'I'm sorry'?"

"I don't know what the fuck you want from me, Rachel!" I nearly yelled as my body heated up. I _hated _when she played the guilt card. Did she not think I felt guilty enough already? "You talk all 'let's have an honest conversation' and shit when you couldn't even speak to me like you knew me at the conference! What am I, some kind of_ fling_ to you?"

"A _fling_?!" She gasped angrily. "You really think I'm low enough to consider my ex-_fiance _a freaking fling?!"

"You acted like you forgot me! Like we meant _nothing_! What the hell did I do to deserve that!?"

At this, Rachel exploded, standing up right in front of me. "YOU LEFT ME AT THE FUCKING ALTER, FINN! You expect me to see you for the FIRST time since then with open arms and a welcoming presence?! Do you have any idea how many months of therapy I had to go to because of your fucking charade?!"

"You knew where I was going!" I shouted back in response. "You could have followed me out and we could have talked then!"

"OH, well _excuse me_ for not being more than a little confused and hurt when my fiance simply _walked _away from me AS I WAS ABOUT TO SAY MY VOWS!"

I couldn't help but stare at the red-faced woman who now stood right in front of me. Never in my life had I ever heard Rachel Berry curse, and as bad timing as this was, it seriously turned me on. But that wasn't important. "I don't know what else you want me to say."

"Then don't say anything," she concluded, tears filling her eyes as she picked up her purse from the floor next to the couch which I assumed she had put there while I was still sleeping. "Coming here was a mistake, anyway. I thought I'd be able to handle this but you're just as immature and selfish as you were senior year. I'm done with this, and I'm _beyond_ done with you." And with that, she exited, slamming the door behind her in a rage.

_Dammit Hudson, you really fucked up this time._

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**IntEnSE!? ?1 I hope it was all that you guys hoped for and more. Again, thank you for your patience. Feedback would be ****_incredible _****to hear, considering the fact that this is my first time writing legitimate angst. :-) **


	8. Impulsive Behavior

**This chapter explains a lot, with the exception of Rachel and Quinn's argument and some other things. I really like the way this came out. Enjoy! :)**

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Beth's POV: (Journal)

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_12/23_

_So Uncle Finn's been in his room all day. I wonder what happened yesterday. I heard yelling and stuff but I had music on so the words weren't easy to make out. Not that I was eavesdropping or anything._

_I made my own dinner. I'm hoping this doesn't become a trend though, because Christmas Eve is tomorrow night and I'm pretty sure mom's going to stay in her room again. Life sucks sometimes._

_Signed, Bored and Alone._

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Finn's POV:

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Do you ever have those moments when you act on impulse? I'm sure you do. I mean, everyone does at some point. Rachel used to always tell me I didn't think before I acted. I always denied it even though I knew she was right. Probably another thing I should have thought about before doing.

Like when I left Rachel at the alter, her face devastated as she dropped her written-out vows to the ground.

"Finn!" she had called as I ran and called the nearest car service. "What's going on?!"

"I can't marry you," I had responded, half of my body already inside my escape car which then drove away.

I just left. No explanation. No nothing.

I figured Rachel would be out of Lima when Quinn called me in to help her raise Beth. I was almost 100% positive she was on her way to becoming a big star on Broadway. That's what she always talked about at leat.

Honestly, I still couldn't handle the fact that Rachel came over the day before. Just as strong-willed and passionate as always, she had completely torn me down. And then more than ever, I regretted my running away. Leaving that wedding was the dumbest decision of my life, and being me, I've made a lot of dumb decisions.

And the worst part about seeing Rachel yesterday was the fact that I hadn't even had a chance to make things right. We just screamed at each other like animals. Some settlement.

Simply put, I acted on impulse. Sure, that's what brought me into this mess in the first place, but maybe I could reverse everything. My heart told me to fix things with Rachel, so that was what I set out to do.

The day before Christmas, I made my way back to McKinley. Whether it was making a mistake or not, I wasn't sure, but I knew I had to make things right. Christmas is time for forgiveness, right? Yeah, Rachel's Jewish, but maybe the same goes for Chanukah.

Pressing the buzzer on the front door, I prayed the school would be open regardless of the holiday break. To my surprise, it was. A janitor opened the door up for me and I thanked him before turning towards the language wing, earning myself curious glares from some of the teachers scattered around the building for being there at such a peculiar time.

I quietly cracked open the door to Rachel's classroom and noticed her standing in the back by her filing cabinet. _This is your chance. Make things right._

Taking a deep breath, I entered the dark room, closing the door behind me. Rachel heard the door click and turned around looking almost frightened. Once she saw it was me, she instantly turned back to her filing. "What do you want?"

I cleared my throat, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck. "You said you wanted to talk yesterday. We didn't really get to talk."

"I got all of the information I needed," she replied, her tone cold and harsh. "So if you'd leave, that'd be ideal. As you can probably see, I'm _extremely_ busy."

"Doing what?" I asked, approaching the back of the room where Rachel stood.

She noticed my presence and avoided eye contact. "Papers, Finn. This is none of your business."

"Oh, but it is. I'm the legal guardian of one of your students."

"And does that give you permission to come in here while I'm working? Shouldn't you be home tending to Bethany?"

"She went to her friends house," I lied in attempt to make myself look like a better parental figure than I was in actuality. "And no, it doesn't give me permission. But don't you want to make things better?"

Rachel shook her head. "I tried that yesterday."

"I'm sorry for giving such a weak apology, Rachel, but if you could just let me explain myself..."

At this, she was intrigued. She placed her papers down before sitting on one of the desks. "Fine. Go ahead."

I nodded, taking a seat on a desk next to hers. "I was stupid to leave, Rachel. I-I knew what was going on wasn't going to work out and I..." I drifted off, my voice then returning when I found the words to say. "I was in too deep with you. I loved you so, _so_ much. My mom and Burt were being real adamant about the fact that we were too young and their words started getting to me and the last thing I wanted was a divorce and... I just knew that everything was going to crumble if I came to New York with you and we would be one of those teen marriages failed. So I left before things could go wrong. I wasn't thinking."

"Clearly.." Rachel remarked, a sarcastic tone supplanting her solemn one from before.

"I realized what I had done after the car drove away but I was too embarrassed to come back after making such a scene, so I had the driver take me to live with my aunt in Westerville. I called my mom from there and we sorted things out. She said I could stay with Aunt Mona until I felt emotionally ready to come home or go to college or whatever. I ended up going to college a month later." I could feel myself getting sidetracked and altered my approach. "But that's not important. What's important is that I hurt you more than I ever intended to, and that I'm so, unbelievably sorry, Rachel."

Rachel nodded slowly. "It's okay, Finn. I forgive you."

Huffing out a sigh of relief, I smiled slightly. "Can we hug it out?"

"Of course," she replied as she slid off of the desk.

I mirrored her movements, then pulling her into a tight embrace. The warm touch of her skin brought memories flooding back. Memories of a near perfect relationship, with little flaws and excessive amounts of affection. I missed her more than anything, and the feeling of my arms around her petite frame was familiar and welcoming. _So_ familiar and welcoming, in fact, that when we pulled away from the hug, I kissed her. Her lips were soft and tasted like strawberries, which I remembered was her favorite fruit, simply because it contained her name and was red, her second favorite color.

She kissed me back, too, but then pulled away, her gaze strong and piercing. "N-no... No, Finn," she said shakily as she escaped my grasp and went back to her filing work.

"You're right, Rachel. That was completely uncalled for."

"Go, please." Her cold and harsh tone from before resurrected, leaving me with nothing to do but oblige.

"I guess I'll see you around..."

"Go," she repeated, a sense of despair evident in her tone.

I nodded, exiting the Italian room.

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**I think this is my longest chapter. :-)**

**Oh, and I know Beth's journal entries have basically been irrelevant at this point, but I promise they'll impact the story more as it continues.**

**As always, PLEASE send a review with your thoughts, comments, suggestions, etc. All would be greatly appreciated.**

**Thank you!**


	9. A Surprise Visitor

**I'm not sure why but I liked this chapter a lot. :P**

**A lot of the most recent reviews have been criticizing Rachel's decision to forgive Finn. I had no idea that would disappoint all of you so much! I'm sorry. :-( I assure you that Finchel will not be together straight away, so don't give up on the story just yet! **

**No Beth journal entry in this chapter. :3 I hope you guys don't mind. **

**Enjoy!**

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Rachel's POV:

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I didn't get much sleep the night before Christmas Eve.

I paced around my room the next afternoon, taking in the events of the previous day. He kissed me. _Kissed _me!

My head hurt and my palms were sweating, nerves taking over my body though I had no reason for them to be. Everything felt uneasy. Everything I knew was becoming so unclear that my feelings were clouding my judgement._ He kissed me, and I loved it. If it weren't for our history and my mess of feelings, I never would have pulled away._

The doorbell rang, interrupting my train of thought. With this, I stood up and made my way to the door. Looking through the peephole, I squealed, my worries being pushed aside. I opened the door quickly and threw my arms around my new guest.

"KURT!" I screamed, mid-bear hug. "What are you doing here!?"  
Kurt giggled, his arms wrapped around me tightly. "I'm just coming to visit the family for the holidays," he told me, smiling. "I requested a night here, though, if that's alright with you."

"Of course!" I exclaimed, pulling away from the hug to bring him into my modest one bedroom home. "We can have a slumber party in the living room and you can do my hair and we can watch chick flicks just like we did in high school with Mercedes!"

"Ah, Rachel Berry," Kurt sighed happily. "It's been much too long."

Just then, my phone vibrated.

**We need to talk about what happened in the classroom yesterday.**

_So much for forgetting._

"Who's that?" Kurt asked curiously.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

_**What's there to talk about?**_

"Ms. Berry, get your nose out of that phone and tell me!"

"Finn."

At this, Kurt's mouth dropped to the floor as another message rolled in.

**The kiss, Rachel. Don't play stupid.**

"Finn as in Finn Hudson, my step-brother, your ex-fiance Finn?!"

I nodded, still staring at my phone.

_**Fine. Let's talk about it.**_

"Rachel! What's going on?!"

I sat down on the couch, my legs feeling suddenly weak. "I'll explain."

"Please do!" He sat down next to me, hugging a pillow against his chest in anticipation.

**I liked it.**

"Okay, so you know how he's Beth's legal guardian now?"

Kurt nodded, signaling that he was aware.

"Well, Beth was getting into some trouble at school and..."

_**As expected. You did initiate it, after all.**_

"Stop texting and talk to me!" Kurt whined.

"Finn came in for a conference, and later I went over to his house, you know, just to smooth things over..."

**I guess. How did you feel about it?**

_**I'm still not sure.**_

Kurt gasped. "Did you two have sex!?"  
"NO!" Rachel yelled back. "Absolutely not! There was a lot of screaming involved, though. It was really bad, for lack of a better word."

**It's not a loaded question. Did you like it or not?**

Rachel sighed, looking down at her phone.

"Rachel, continue."

"Oh, right. So then he felt bad, I assume, and he came into the school. I don't know how he knew I'd be there during break, but he did. And we talked a little, patched up some very large holes."

_**Of course I liked it.**_

"Aaaand?"

"He kissed me."

Kurt's mouth dropped to the ground yet again. "HE WHAT?"

"He kissed me."

**Good. Now what do we do about it?**

_**I don't know, Finn.**_

"And then what?!"

"That's it. We're talking about it now."

"Well, did you like it!?"

Rachel nodded. "I _loved _it, Kurt. It was like this missing piece in my life was finally filled and it felt so incredibly good."

**Can we be friends?**

"How far did you two go?"

"Oh, no. I pulled away. I can't put my heart through that again, Kurt."

"I understand," he said, seeming a bit disappointed. "Are you still seeing that therapist?"

_**I'd like that.**_

"On and off. I go when something big happens, so I've been there twice this week. She helps a lot. And even when she doesn't have valuable advice, she's still someone to talk to. Ever since senior year, I've felt really alone."

**Perfect. Then our first order of business as friends is Christmas Eve. You're with Kurt right now, right?**

_**Yep. Why?**_

"I wish you came to New York with me like we planned. It's a big, scary city."

"Well at least you have Blaine now."

"I _love _Blaine, but he's not my best friend."

I smiled slightly at Kurt. I was so lucky to have him.

**Come back here and spend Christmas Eve with my family. I know you're Jewish but it's been a while since they've seen you and Beth will be there, too.**

Picking up my phone, I showed Kurt the message silently.

"Do you want to?" he asked. "If you're not comfortable with it, I can go home by myself and come back after."

Rachel shook her head. "No, I want to go. It'll be fun. I miss your family."

Kurt smiled. "Good. Let's go."

_**Count us in.**_

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**I'm hoping you're all excited for a very finchel-y Christmas.**

**I mean, so what if Rachel's Jewish...**

**As always, read and review!**

**Thank you. :)**


	10. PLEASE READ

**This chapter is basically just an announcement and will be deleted at some point before Friday.**

**I've decided to take a break from ****Beth's Italian Teacher****.**

**Lately I've been ****_extremely_**** busy and I have some other, better ideas in mind for a new story!**

**PLEASE don't unfollow! I promise to be back here as soon as I can.**

**Thank you! XOX.**


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